Tim Watkins

Timothy Watkins joined DEQ as Chief Deputy Secretary in June of 2022. He oversees operational aspects of the organization and brings more than 30 years of experience in the federal government.

Tim joined DEQ from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he served in the EPA’s Office of Research and Development as the Director of the Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling. He has also served as National Program Director for the Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program, Director of the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Director for the National Exposure Research Laboratory, and Deputy National Program Director for the Air Climate and Energy Research Program. In addition, he served on the EPA’s Council on PFAS.

His roles involved leading and managing diverse groups of scientists and administrative professionals working to protect human health and the environment.  Throughout his career, Tim has focused on building and supporting collaborative relationships with EPA’s internal and external stakeholders.

Tim holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Rollins College.